If a gyro instrument fails in flight, what is the recommended priority for the pilot?

• A. Declare emergency and land immediately
• B. Rely on autopilot after gyro failure
• C. Maintain aircraft control using remaining instruments and standard procedures
• D. Switch to GPS navigation only

Answer: (C)

The main thing being tested here is how you prioritize flying the airplane when an instrument fails. If a gyro instrument goes dark in flight, your first priority is to maintain control of the aircraft. Don’t chase the failed display or rely on the autopilot, since it uses gyro data and can become unreliable or disengage with the failure.

Fly the airplane using the remaining information and standard procedures. Use whatever remaining instruments you have (such as the standby attitude reference if available, airspeed, altitude, VSI, and heading indicators) and apply gentle, coordinated control inputs while trimming as needed. If you can, use outside visual references to help maintain attitude and flight path; if you’re in IMC, rely on the standby instruments and routine loss-of-instrument procedures to stabilize before attempting to reestablish full normal operation.

GPS and other navigational tools don’t replace attitude information, so they’re not a substitute for maintaining control. Once you’ve regained stable control, you can address navigation and instrument reversion as appropriate.